POLICE are appealing for footage of a hit and run crash which left an eight-year-old boy seriously injured.

The child was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car in New Church Road, Hove, on July 1.

Police said he was on his scooter when he was struck by a white or light-coloured hatchback at the junction with Pembroke Gardens at about 9.10pm.

The car then drove off.

The child has since been discharged from hospital.

A police spokesman said: “It is concerning that the driver of the vehicle failed to stop at the scene of this collision where a child was seriously injured and in distress.

“We urgently wish to speak with them about this matter, and are appealing for any residents in the area with relevant CCTV or doorbell cameras, or anyone with dashcam footage in the area at the time to come forward.

“Information can be reported to Sussex Police online or call 101 and quote serial 1418 of 01/07.”

Residents of Pembroke Gardens previously told The Argus they were concerned about speeding and antisocial behaviour in the area.

One man said the road has become a “rat run” of speeding cars since lockdown.

“Unfortunately, the road seem to become a bit of a hub for drug running during lockdown and antisocial behaviour,” he said.

“A lot of people now use the road as a way of avoiding the traffic lights on New Church Road, so the number of cars that come down here is increasing.

“And it has become a bit of a rat run. People drive down the road very fast and sometimes use it as a bit of a race track.”